1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed toward boat fenders and more particularly to ballasted boat fenders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need for ballasted boat fenders relates to water conditions induced by wind, tide or, in many areas, by boat traffic. As wave conditions increase, a vessel will begin to heave. If the vessel is tied to a dock, an inflatable fender eventually ends up on the dock. With the inflatable fender on the dock, the vessel is left unprotected.
Many newly constructed marinas use concrete docks, which are very stable relative to most light vessels. In active wave conditions, the lighter vessel moves up and down, but the dock remains relatively stationary. Again, with an inflatable fender, the fender is easily jostled onto the dock leaving the vessel to scrape against the concrete dock.
The drawbacks of conventional inflatable fenders is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6 showing typical boat and seaplane fenders, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, the inflatable fender 20 floats on the surface of the water where wave action rocks the boat 22 up and down, thus acting to easily dislodge the inflatable fender 20. In FIG. 6, a conventional seaplane float 56 is typically made from aluminum and has a chine area 60 that extends laterally below the waterline 28. Because inflatable fender 20 is tied to dock 58 and floats on top of the water, the chine 60 is left unprotected and is allowed to bang against any portion of the dock 58 extending below the waterline 28.
Accordingly, the need remains for a fender that is adapted to extend below the surface of the water to protect a floating craft against impacts against a dock or other objects, and particularly one that is easily ballasted with water for use as a fender and easily emptied of the water for lightweight storage.